Thursday, May 26, 2011
Acts 13:46-47 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
THROUGH YOU TO OTHERS
The message of salvation Paul and Barnabas proclaimed in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) was, of course, the very same Gospel the risen Jesus commanded His disciples to take into all the world when He told them (Luke 24:46-47): "The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
When Jesus said "all nations" He made it plain that the Good News of Life in His name was meant for non-Jews as well as Jews. How sad that so many Jews of the first century did not understand their place in God's plan. The promises of the Messiah were preserved among them, the Savior was born to them, the Apostles were chosen out of their number ... so that all nations might be redeemed, restored and forgiven. They were God's special people -- for the sake of all.
If you are reading this, you are probably a Christ-believer. Do you understand your place in God's plan of salvation? You also are to be a conduit, not a receptacle. The Gospel that has come to you is to go on through you to others. It's like the story of the man upon whom the Lord lavished a wealth of this earth's material goods. "Lord," he said, "I have so much. My arms can't hold any more!" To which the Lord responded, "Why are you holding on to it?"
